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Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 (The Brevity of Man)

Charlie Garrett Ecclesiastes, Old Testament, Other, Sermons, Special / Holiday, Special / Holiday (Written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
The Brevity of Man

I take care of a friend’s house down the road from where I live. He’s a great guy who is now 90 years old. One day I asked him “What’s your secret to living so long?” “Simple,” He said. “Keep breathing.” I guess that helps.

The fact is though that life is short. I’ve lost several friends that I grew up with. One day they were there, and the next day they were gone. One of them was a member of this church. On a Saturday, just one year ago, I got a call from her daughter Sarah. “Uncle Charlie, mom died.”

I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t process the words. My mind simply went blank. “But, I just got an email from her yesterday. How can this be true?”

As each person that knew her heard the news, they had the same sense of shock. When my mother came to church Sunday morning, she literally broke out in weeping. Her sobs crushed what was left of my already shattered heart. For each of us, our memories of Kelly flooded over us like a tidal wave.

“What was the last thing I said to her? Could I have done more with her or for her? Was I the friend I should have been?” Every one of us had such thoughts. But when the last moment is over, it is over. Life is brief and for all of us, it is a terminal disease. Each one of us will come to that same end someday. It isn’t “if,” but rather “when.”

Text Verse: Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue. Job 14:1, 2

Whether we like it or not we’re all getting older… moment by moment, day by day, the clock keeps ticking as our life ebbs away. We race towards the future, looking for what’s ahead and we’re in continuous anticipation about the next big thing. But from time to time, we stop and look back and wonder where the years have gone. Usually we do this on anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

Solomon tells us this is the entirely wrong attitude to have. If you follow his life, this is what he did, but it ended up costing him. He was the richest and wisest man ever to live and yet he misplaced his wisdom.

At the end of his life, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s a hard book to follow unless you understand his premise. He contrasts life under the sun with life under the heavens. He tells us what is and what isn’t meaningful. In the end, nothing under the sun is meaningful. Instead, it’s what is under God’s heaven that has true meaning and purpose.

This is the point of what Solomon is trying to tell us and he sums everything up in chapter 12 of Ecclesiastes. We can take it as an axiom that no person lying on his death bed has ever uttered, “I wish I had worked more hours at my job.” No, when we encounter death, we look at things in an entirely different way.

For many who are blessed with a slow death, they at least get the chance to sort out their life with God. For those who die suddenly, they don’t get that chance. They were either right with Him or they were not. For those who were not, that is the saddest end of all. If you are here today, it’s because you are still alive. Solomon tells you what you need to consider now.

He will open his discourse noting that it is the youth to whom he is speaking. As the oldest man who ever lived, Methuselah, lived to 969 years, I think everyone here qualifies as a youth, at least in regards to him. So Solomon is speaking to you. Pay attention. There are valuable lessons to be learned from this superior word, and so may God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Solomon’s Words to the Young (Verses 1-8)

The beautiful and magnificent words of Ecclesiastes 12 comprise 1482 characters in 339 words of 14 verses in the NKJV, or 754 characters in 162 words if you read the Hebrew text. Solomon was writing to the youth of his time, and the words he wrote echo down through the ages and throughout all generations. He speaks, like Isaiah who would come later also speaks; about priorities –

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30, 31

But, though Solomon’s words are beautiful, some of them are a bit cryptic, especially verses 1-6. And so let’s take a very brief look at them together and see what he was trying to tell us.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:

In these opening words of the chapter, Solomon implores his reader to not wait on a relationship with God. Youth, and its many distractions, is still the perfect time to begin – and to strive to perfect – this relationship. With the passing of youth we experience the “difficult days.” They are days of trouble and days of trial.

First, pressures of family and work come up. No sooner are we getting through this phase than we reach the age of physical and mental deterioration. Such days are no longer in the distant future. Instead, they are days which draw near. And in the coming of that time, we say “I have no pleasure in them.”

Life loses the wonder of youth, it loses the joy of things being endlessly new and exciting. Instead, all becomes routine, life gets tedious, and the days tiresome. The alarm clock rings and we rise to do our duty once again. The excitement is gone, but for brief moments which are always too short. From time to time, we might even have the passing thought which the psalmist of old asked –

“How many are the days of Your servant?” Psalm 119:84

The pleasure of youth is gone and in place of it come questions about when life itself will end. Solomon asks us to remember our Creator in our youth, before such days arrive. As I’ve already noted how youthful each of you are, then be advised that he is speaking to you. Whatever your span of life will be, it is set and there isn’t a thing you can do about it. Moses understood this and he wrote something special for you to consider. From the oldest psalm in the Bible, we read these words –

“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

2 While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,

Here Solomon is referring to the loss of vision – macular degeneration, cataracts, and all the other eye problems we experience in this fallen world. I personally started losing my vision some years ago. It seems that every year or so since then, the number on my reader glasses has gotten a little larger.

Eventually, if our sight gets bad enough, the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, and all of the other things we love to see – all of these will simply fade into gray or even black.

But there is another type of blindness that is even worse. It isn’t physical at all. Rather, it is spiritual. It is a blindness we are born with. Jesus spoke of it to the leaders of Israel –

And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41

We have a blindness to our own sinful state. It is so heavy over the eyes of our hearts that we simply refuse to see that it is there. Paul prayed that this blindness would be replaced with clarity of vision. In his letter to the Ephesians, he said this  –

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:17-21

Children, we are being asked to remember our Creator now, in the days of our youth, before the blindness of eternal darkness once and forever overtakes us.

2 (con’t) And the clouds do not return after the rain;

The Hebrew reads, “And the clouds return after the rain. The “clouds returning after the rain” is a metaphor for continued physical problems constantly returning. As soon as it rains, the clouds begin to form again. It is continuous cycle of getting better only to have the same problem come right back. In the same way, our brains fog over and our thoughts become unclear as we age. Even if we remember something, we forget it again right away.

Before this sad state comes upon us, Solomon implores us to think on the things of God; to make the best possible use of our time. The psalmist of old gives us wonderful words of how we should spend these few moments of our existence –

“When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.” Psalm 63:6

David did just this and he was able to hide God’s word in his heart when he was young. It was a good thing he did, because in his later years, this would have become impossible. He had an affliction of the body which was so debilitating that he could never have directed his thoughts to the things of God unless they were already instilled in him –

“When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.” 1 Kings 1:1

Solomon saw this in his father David and he wrote words for us to consider –

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.” Ecclesiastes 11:9, 10

3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,

Here Solomon calls the arms and legs “the keepers of the house.” The arms are what care for us, and the legs are what transport us. They are what keep the house of our souls fed, healthy, mobile, and able to continue functioning. But, as humans, we often tend to get the shakes in these areas with age. Body tremors, neuropathic problems, Parkinson’s, and other ravages of time and age all cause the keepers of the house to tremble.

Solomon asks us to consider our lives now, in our youth, before this happens. It is a sad thought that someone would start seeking God from His word at a time when he can’t even hold a book steady. Rather, the book of Hebrews admonishes us with these words, directed to us now while we still are able –

“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12

3 (con’t) And the strong men bow down;

When he says that “strong men bow down” it’s obvious that as we age the ground gets closer to our faces… or is it our faces getting closer to the ground? Our backs hunch over, our knees bow, and these unnatural positions only increase our pains.

And so, I’d ask today that you consider while you have the chance, to strengthen yourself spiritually through Christ so that when your physical body wears out, you have the inner strength of His glorious Spirit to take you through these times of trouble. Two contrasting verses from the psalms will help instruct us in this matter –

“For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.” Psalm 31:10

“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.” Psalm 146:8

What a different end for those who know God and those who do not. For those in Christ, there is an eternity of strength which awaits them. For the others, there is only an eternity of pain which lies ahead after that life of pain. Remember your Creator now my children.

3 (con’t) When the grinders cease because they are few,

Along with the other problems, Solomon goes on to tell us that our chewing will become more difficult with age due to the loss of our pearly whites! We’re fortunate today to have advanced dental capabilities, but the cost is often so high that we still let some of the missing teeth remain missing. Eventually for some, there is only the prospect of soft foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It was a rare thing in ancient Israel for people to have all their teeth even at a young age. How much worse when they were older! Solomon was impressed that his bride to be had all of her teeth –

“Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is barren among them.” Song of Solomon 4:2

His advice to this beautiful young bride would have been to enjoy her beauty, and to enjoy every meal, but also to pursue God while she was still young enough to possess both.

3 (con’t) And those that look through the windows grow dim;

Again, Solomon reminds us of our coming vision problems. The eyes are called the windows to the soul. Eventually, the eyes dim and the food for our soul can no longer be consumed. His advice is that we not get to that point without first remembering our Creator; pondering Him and His goodness in our lives. Some of the greatest of the Bible suffered with vision problems.

Isaac lay in his bed for over forty years because of his blindness. Eli, the high priest of Israel and one of the very few people ever allowed to see the Most Holy objects of Israel’s tabernacle, eventually lost his vision as well. Moses was more fortunate. It says of him at his death –

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Deuteronomy 34:7

For those who are the redeemed of the Lord, who are willing to follow Him, many promises are made, including promises of sight to the blind –

“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16

Remember your Creator now before the times of eternal darkness arrive and sight is no longer possible.

4 When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;

The doors of which Solomon speaks are our ears. When we shut the doors to the street outside, we can’t hear what is happening out there. But that is where the joy of life is! The sound of the grinding speaks of women sitting at the millstones, chatting like birds and grinding out the grain for the evening meal.

It would have been the most common and delightful sound of all. Every Israelite would cherish the memories of such times. To not hear more of them would have been worse than almost anything else.

Likewise, the music we love, the voice of our loved ones, and the sounds of life all fade with age. With our bad eyes, we can’t read the Bible, and with our bad ears, we can’t even hear an audio Bible. Solomon would ask us to consider our Creator now, before such evil days steal away our chance to know Him intimately.

For those who know their Lord, He can and will cause the deaf to hear. Mark wrote about the marvelous work of Christ there on the dusty streets of Israel –

“Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:32-37

Christ does all things well because He is the God/Man. He is the One who promised restoration of all things, and through Him all things will be restored. Solomon finishes this verse with this thought –

4 (con’t) When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low.

Man tends to wake up earlier as he ages – with or without alarm clocks. The “daughters of music” are the morning birds which sing their joyous songs. But despite their marvelous sounds, there’s a big problem… We may be up early as they sing out their delightful tunes, but we can’t hear them because our hearing is shot! The daughters of music are brought low; their joyous whistling becomes nothing more than a dull sound to our deadened ears.

And there is also another type of deafness which man faces. It is the inability to hear the word of God as it speaks to his soul. The Lord told the prophet Isaiah to proclaim this to the people –

“Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

The people of Isaiah’s time are the same as people today. We refuse to listen, we refuse to heed, and we refuse to turn and be healed. The musical notes of the words of Scripture are brought low to our deadened sense. Oh God, if we would just open our hearts, you would fill our ears with sound and our eyes with light –

“So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?”  Exodus 4:11

5 Also they are afraid of height,

The young are afraid of nothing. Heights are a challenge to be overcome. But to the elderly, even a small step ladder could mean a broken hip. High places begin to terrify and the ground is a safe haven from the terrifying heights. But even the old who know the Lord, who cherished their Creator in the days of their youth, are able to rise to the highest of heights to grant Him His just due –

“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!” Psalm 148:1

5 (cont) And of terrors in the way;

What once was something we laughed off without a care, later becomes that which terrifies us most. When we were young, we would go to the store without a second thought, but with age comes fear – “Will someone attack me if I go out?” “Those young ruffians on the corner sure look bent on evil.” “What if the car breaks down on the highway?”

Things that never caused us a moment of concern eventually fill us with dread. Age has worn us down and we can no longer look out for ourselves as we once did. Like a lazy person, we soon find excuses to not go out at all –

“The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!’” Proverbs 22:13

But for those who fear the Lord in reverence, there is no dread of what man, demon, or devil can do –

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

5 (cont) When the almond tree blossoms,

When it’s in full bloom, the almond tree is covered with white blossoms. Solomon uses it as a metaphor for the head of the aged. Where there was once raven black, there is now a beautiful gray. Where blond curls were, there is now shiny silver. Solomon is being poetic and striking about the head of the aged. My beard was once a nice brown color, now it has assumed another look.

In the proverbs, Solomon says that for those who took the time to know their Creator in their youth, the blossoming almond tree bears a special honor –

“The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31

And in Isaiah, the Lord promises His people that this mark of the aged is no hindrance to His power –

“Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4

5 (cont) The grasshopper is a burden,

God created the grasshopper just as he created mosquitoes. For the aged, both are troubling. In the case of the grasshopper, even though their ears have trouble hearing the sound of the birds, the grasshopper’s song at night is as clear as crystal because of its peculiar pitch, even someone practically deaf can hear it.

And it never seems to end as you lie in bed with your old bones, wishing it were morning! The grasshopper drags himself along, robbing the aged of the little sleep that they try to get. Remember your Creator now… in the time of your youth, before such terrible times come.

5 (cont) And desire fails.

What was once delightful becomes bland. What once stirred the soul eventually becomes wearisome. Work loses its joy; the desires of life fade. The anticipation of the caress of another is replaced with the desire to just get a bit more sleep. Ouch! That’s all I can say! In this regard, Moses was a blessed exception –

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Deuteronomy 34:7

The Hebrew of this verse tells us that Moses didn’t need Viagra. But for the majority of us, as age advances, our desires fail and the joys of youth are gone. Remember your Creator now, in the days of your youth, young man.

5 (cont) For man goes to his eternal home,

The eternal home; the resting place for all souls. The KJV calls it the “long home.” And we will be there a long, long time. For us, there awaits a box in the ground, a fancy pine overcoat – longer than it is wide.

5 (cont) And the mourners go about the streets.

In the time of Solomon, and even through the time of Jesus, professional mourners were employed to stand outside homes of people who died.  If you were wealthy, you’d have lots of them, but whatever… the job could only mean one thing. Death had arrived and claimed another soul. The eternally hungry pit was fed once again and the sound of a person, unique from any other in all of human history, had been forever silenced.

Solomon asks us to consider this end, for it is one we will all share in. For those who are wise, there is to be relief from this pit – if… if we will just remember our Creator before the sickle comes to reap the sheaf of our life. In Christ there is hope –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25, 26

6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,

Once again, Solomon implores us to remember Him – the one who loves us, who created us, who came to die for us. Before we know it, something will go wrong with our jar of clay – our human shell – and it will be too late. The silver cord is the spine and its marrow. Its loosening causes a stopping of all the nervous system and brings on the approach of old age and death. Or, if it gets cut unnaturally, death can be much, much quicker. Remember Him now, before your silver cord is loosed.

6 (con’t) Or the golden bowl is broken,

The golden bowl is our head and its contents (or the lack thereof.) If it gets broken, or the brain pops a vessel, we’re on our way to the checkout counter. Our ticket is punched. I’ve known several people who died from head injuries – some from motorcycles, one more recently from a brain hemorrhage. To think of them is to miss them.

Even with modern medicine, once the golden bowl is broken, that’s pretty much it. Solomon would have us use our head now in the pursuit of God, while it can still be used for such a magnificent pursuit. There are brains there, but is there wisdom to use them?

6 (con’t) Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,

The pitcher is that great vein which carries blood to the right ventricle of the heart – here called the fountain. The pitcher pours, the fountain receives, life continues on with each pump of the muscle. [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []. But the pump is known to fault, the vein is known to shatter, and the fountain no longer receives the lifeblood of the man [] [] [] [] [] ………

6 (con’t) Or the wheel broken at the well.

The wheel is that great artery which receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart – here designated as the well. Modern science has the capacity to repair these things to some extent, but eventually they will wear out, unless something else goes first, When the wheel is broken, the cowboy has had his last roundup; the surfer has tucked into his last tube, and the mason has laid his last brick. Remember the Creator now, while the work of your hands remains an active task and not a forgotten memory.

Of verse 6, I’d like to tell you a story. I used to sit on the beach with a sign that said, “Bible Questions Answered; Don’t Be Shy!” One day a doctor from Pennsylvania walked up and asked a few questions. He went to church, but he figured all religions were the same. He was up for Buddhism and other New Agey things too.

Eventually, he asked some question or another, and I took him to this verse. I showed him Solomon’s words about the heart which are written here. He turned whiter than he already was and mumbled out, “How could he know this? How could Solomon have known this 2700 years ago?” That doctor went away a changed man with a new appreciation for the word of God.

7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,

These words find their origin in the very first pages of the Bible. It is an echo of what God did to Adam –

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

From the dust we arose at the work of the Lord. By His breath, the dust was animated. The blood began to flow, air filled the lungs; the senses came alive. By His wisdom, it came to be. But by our folly, what was meant to last forever in pristine running condition, became a confining prison, filled with pains, sadness, and decay. The man forgot his Creator and man has suffered ever since –

“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19

But through Christ, a new body is promised, one that will never wear out, never tire, never decay. God has spoken; the second shall replace the first –

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:46-49

We are given a choice. Will we stay in Adam and face eternal decay, or will we choose God’s work in Christ and receive eternal life? How will you choose? Choose wisely, my children.

7 (con’t) And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Yes, we are eternal beings. Scripture makes it clear that our spirit will return to God. When we meet Him, it will be for eternal salvation or it will be for eternal condemnation. A price must be paid for the life we have lived. It can be paid in the cross of Christ as our perfect Substitute, or it can be paid in our imperfect selves. I pray you make the right choice. The Bible shows a different end for those who are in Christ and those who are not –

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”

havel havalim amar ha’qohelet ha’kol havel – “Vapor of vapors says the Kohelet; everything is vapor.” Breath on a cold day. Abel, or Havel, was given his name from a mother who realized the difference between life under the sun and life under the heavens. She longed, desperately, to return to that life under the heavens which she had lost, but it never came about. She’s still waiting, 6000 years later.

Without a doubt, outside of Jesus Christ, it is all meaningless. All our money, all our treasures, hard work, savings, relationships, desires, aims, goals, boastings…all of it – vapor. It will pass away and disappear into the nothingness from which it came. James understood this –

“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” James 1:9-11

II. The Conclusion of the Whole Matter (Verses 9-14)

9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.

The Lord came to Solomon in a dream at night and asked him what he desired. His answer was a wise one indeed –

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:7-9

The Lord’s response to this request came immediately, and it overflowed with abundance –

“Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1 Kings 3:11-14

In the next chapter, the fulfillment of the promise is recorded –

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. 33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.” 1 Kings 4:29-34

Despite all that he was given though, he piddled his life away with worthless pursuit of life under the sun. In his old age, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in hopes that we would pay heed to what he had ignored. This life is vain indeed, my son. Look to the eternal; set your eyes on the Lord; and run the race with vigor – all the way to the finish line. Don’t look left; don’t look to the right. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.

Solomon’s personal life was wasted in the empty pursuit of vapor, but his words were exceedingly wise. In his case, we could rightly state the old adage, “Do as I say, not as I do.” His words were acceptable, even for inclusion in the word of God.

What is made clear here is that knowledge is important, but equally so we need to impart it to others. The knowledge of Christ is their only hope…don’t keep it to yourself. As with everything in the Bible, Solomon says these are “just the right words.”

They are upright and true –
They are the words of your Creator reaching out to you. 

As it says in Hebrews concerning all of Scripture –

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

If this is true, and it is, then the power of the word of God, if properly presented, will cut through all barriers. And the power of the gospel can restore even the greatest sinner. But Paul asks an obvious question in the book of Romans –

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14, 15

Wisdom is receiving and applying the word of God to one’s life. Exceeding wisdom is turning around and sharing it with others.

11 The words of the wise are like goads,

Goads are prods used to move animals along. In this, Solomon is saying that the words of the wise are what prompt us toward God and an everlasting relationship with Him. And the words of the wise are thus the words of Scripture. They are what prod us towards a good and happy end. The apostle Paul found that kicking against the goads is painful indeed on the day he met the risen Christ –

“And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” Acts 26:14

Are you here today kicking against the goads. You’re only hurting yourself. Christ is calling for you to live at peace with Him, not to fight His marvelous hand until your dying breath. Let the words of Christ be that which drive you to the refuge where the Lord God dwells, and where underneath are the everlasting arms.

11 (con’t) and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails,

A well-driven nail holds fast. It will remain secure in the highest of winds and against the strongest of intruders. The home is safe, the tent stands firm, and the bleachers won’t buckle when the nails are well driven. The words of scholars, wise and learned men who have penned the word of God for us, are like this. They are tested and true. This is why the psalmist could unequivocally state –

“Your word, Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 (NIV)

Later in the same psalm, he gives us another insight into the nature of the word –

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

A lamp is used to direct light, but light is a constant. It never changes. It travels at 186,282 miles per second… always. The word of God is what directs the light, and the light of the word never changes. The path for our feet will never falter when we place our trust in the contents of the word. Let these well-driven nails be your place of refuge now, while the time is called Today.

11 (con’t) given by one Shepherd.

Who is this one Shepherd? It is Jesus – the eternal Logos; the Word of God. He’s both the Author and the Subject of the Bible. The words He gives us are all we need to properly guide our lives and to lead us into all righteousness. In adhering to His words, we are forever filled –

“The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

The Shepherd that David looked on high to is the same Shepherd we eagerly anticipate –

“I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11

He is our Good Shepherd; He is our Great Shepherd; and He is our Chief Shepherd. He is the guide of the flock, and His reward is with Him. His word stands firm, and His promises are true. Remember Him now, little children. Seek Him while He may be found.

12 And further, my son, be admonished by these.

We can seek after wisdom from a thousand cultures and ten thousand wise men, but unless we pursue God as He has revealed Himself to us, the wisdom will fail and our knowledge will die with us. The words of the scholars, which have been given by the One true Shepherd have been provided as the roadmap for our lives. He created us, and therefore He alone can direct us as is fit and proper. Solomon understood this, and his words to you, my children, are as relevant today as they were when he said this. Allow the word of God to admonish you. Demonstrate true wisdom now, while there is time.

12 (con’t) Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

Isn’t this the truth! Imagine, Solomon wrote this almost 3000 years ago. He said even then that there is no end to the making of books at a time in history when hardly any books had been written! Just imagine how overwhelming the sight of a modern library would be for him today.

If we were to count only the books written about the Bible, we would be counting a very long time. I know several people, quite a few in fact, who have read book after book after book about the Bible, but they have spent very little time in comparison simply reading the Bible. What a waste of time.

Before I met the Lord, I read the entire collection of Edgar Allen Poe every year. Since I met Him, I have never read Poe again. And in all honesty, I’d rather go back and read Poe than most of the books that have been written about the Bible. They come and they go. They often enrich the author, but they do very little to enrich the soul. At least Poe could do that. If you want time well spent, the word is waiting. Pick the thing up and read it! If you do, you will be able to fulfill the words of the next verse…

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Oh boy! I can’t wait to hear! Solomon, the wisest man ever to live has some advice for us… for you, my children. Now! While still in your youth. Lean in and listen folks, the word is near you.

13 (con’t) Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

Truly, it is the whole duty of man – to fear God, to obey His Holy Word, to “…fix our eyes on Jesus…”  And, how do we keep his commandments? First, you have to learn them. Which ones apply still? Which ones are set aside? The commandments of God throughout the ages are many, but not all apply at all times. The ones that do now are neither burdensome, nor are they difficult.

To find this out though, you need to go to the source and read it. Immerse yourself in the Bible. It’s an amazingly deep well. So drink from it daily and then obey it in the context which applies for those who trust in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Solomon says that this is man’s all. There is no thing greater that we as human beings can do than to have a reverential fear of God and to keep the word which He has given to us. Shall we stand approved before Him on that great day? If we adhere to the precepts of the Bible, the answer is “Yes.”

* 14 (fin) For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

A day of reckoning is coming. We will all face it and there is not a thing that we can do about its arrival. We can deny it, we can suppress it, we can… lie to ourselves about it, but that day will come – for each and every soul who has ever existed. On that day, the secrets of our hearts will be exposed and the hidden things will be brought to light.

The old saying, “Nothing is sure but death and taxes” understates the ability of people to finagle their way out of paying taxes. But one thing we can’t cheat is death. We’re all heading to our “long home” and we don’t know the day we will move into it.

The time is coming when we will all stand before God to give an account for ourselves. We will stand and receive judgment based on our words. As Jesus said, “…by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). The words Jesus wants to hear, and the words that justify us are laid out by Paul in Romans 10 –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9, 10

Let me explain to you how you can arrive at that point where you ae willing to utter those words…

Closing Verse: “All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24, 25

Next week: Exodus 30:1-10 The symbolism of Christ in these verses is immense (The Altar of Incense) (83rd Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for you. Though life under the sun may be exceedingly sorrowful and tedious, He promises those who trust in Him a glorious future of life under the heavens. So follow Him and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Exodus 29:38-46 (I Will Dwell Among Them and be Their God)

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Exodus 29:38-46
I Will Dwell among Them and be Their God

If you’ve read through the Old Testament, you may have gotten kind of tired of all the offerings that are mandated in it, especially in Exodus and Leviticus. I actually had a friend quit reading the Bible because of them. It seemed brutal, pointless, and overly excessive to her.

Reading the pages one after another and not understanding what is actually going on can certainly lead to that kind of conclusion. Be honest, it seems tedious at times, doesn’t it? Even the Lord said that he had had enough of Israel’s burnt offerings. If you don’t believe me, check Isaiah 1:11.

But the reason was because of the manner in which they were offered, not because it wasn’t the right thing to do. The Lord had called Israel and had given them these rules for a reason. It was first so that they would be His people and He would be their God. There was to be communion with Him through their offerings.

But they got to the point where communing with God was a chore and not a joy. They mechanically offered what the law required and there was no true fellowship in what they did. The second reason for the required offerings was to show us something else. These offerings under the law, like every other detail of what we have seen, were given as a type and shadow of Christ to come.

I know that the thought of analyzing a bunch of sacrifices and offerings may seem dull, but its not. If you still aren’t impressed with the verses ahead when we get done today, I’ll give you a full refund on your time. But I just don’t believe you will ask for it. If you truly love what Christ has done, then those things which picture Him will be worth the time you spend looking into them.

Text Verse: For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”2 Corinthians 6:16

The Lord said in our sermon verses today that he would dwell among the children of Israel and that He would be their God. He said in 2 Corinthians 6 that He would dwell among us and be our God. Doesn’t that at all get your curiosity up? How do the two accounts tie together? How can the morning and evening sacrifices of ancient Israel point us to our current position with God?

Well, stay awake and pay attention for the next 30 or 40 minutes and you’ll see. One thing is for sure, we can’t find out if we don’t open the book and study it. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Lamb, Morning and Evening (verses 38 & 39)

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar:

The consecration of the altar was explained in the previous verses, especially in verses 36 and 37. Now, immediately following that description, the account moves directly into the establishment of the daily offerings to be made on the altar.

The purpose of the ordination rites which were described, both for the priests and for this altar, is explained in these verses today. They are the end design to which that ordination is subservient, which is the worship of God and an acknowledgment to Him that all things come from Him.

It would make no sense to ordain the priests and consecrate the altar if there was not an ultimate purpose for their ordination and its consecration. Therefore, it shows that the intent for those consecrations find their fulfillment in what will now be described.

No exception is given here, or anywhere else, concerning relief from these offerings. Even if the land were completely deprived of food or animals, these would still be required because God, being the Source of all things, was to be acknowledged for being the provider or withholder of those things for the people.

His grace could be anticipated if these offerings were made, but even if it was withheld, they were still to be given in petition for mercy. To refuse to offer them as instructed would first be a violation of the covenant, and secondly a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the sovereignty of God who controls the nations and who directs the destiny of Israel.

The life of the people belonged to the Lord, and therefore, these sacrificial animals stood as representative of their lives being offered daily to him. These offerings then could be summed up by Paul from his words in Romans 12 –

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1, 2

This mandate will continue throughout the duration of the Old Covenant. Even until the time of Christ, these offerings were made. At His coming, they were made obsolete, but they continued on until the destruction of the temple in AD70.

The re-establishment of them is being planned right now, but this doesn’t mean they will be acceptable to God. Rather, they are a part of what God has said would come in the final 7 years of the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. However, these offerings were so especially important to the covenant while it was in effect, that we read this in Ezra 3 –

“From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid.” Ezra 3:6

Even before the laying of the foundation of the second temple, the daily offerings prescribed here were initiated. The same will probably be true with the reestablishment of the offerings in the coming of the next temple. As we will see though, the offerings only picture the coming work of Christ. In Him, they are fulfilled and set aside.

38 (con’t) two lambs of the first year,

The words read, kebasim bene shanah shnayim – “lambs, sons of the year, two.” These lambs were to be young, in the first year, picturing innocence. A lamb of any age is a beautiful picture of innocence, but one of the first year is especially so. It’s hard to imagine sacrificing such a pure and unstained animal.

However, it needs to be considered that it is the Lord who is mandating the sacrifice. As He is the Creator of the lamb, then it is His prerogative to stipulate whatever animal He chooses. In selecting a young, tender, and innocent lamb, He was making a picture of His own Son to come.

Every single day, 360 days a year, and therefore 720 times, these young lambs were sacrificed in anticipation of the day when the pure, perfect, and innocent Son of God would be sacrificed. These lambs then only prefigure His perfect innocence, and His infinite tenderness.

Lambs are not rebellious, but submissive animals. They don’t fight even as they go to their deaths, but rather they remain silent. They will willingly go where the master leads them. Such an animal then made a perfect picture of Christ who voluntarily submitted to His Father’s will and who did not fight or speak against the authority that came to take His life.

Lambs further picture many of His other endearing attributes of harmlessness to those He died for, His humility even toward those who cared nothing for Him, His patience towards the objects of His wrath, and they even emulate Christ in that lambs are useful for both food and clothing.

For those who partake of Him, He is their food. And for those who receive Him, He is their unstained white garment of righteousness. The sacrifice of these lambs was to be a twice-daily anticipation of many of the good things to come in Jesus Christ the Lord.

One more aspect of them is actually not yet recorded. However, in Numbers 28:3, it is added into the details where it says, “two male lambs in their first year without blemish.” Not only were these to be innocent lambs which were to be sacrificed to the Lord, but they were to be without blemish.

These then picture Christ as anticipated by Isaiah with the words that “He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” Peter then further refines the image in the New Testament –

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:17-19

38 (con’t) day by day continually.

la’yom tamid – ” daily continually.” From the first day that they were to be offered, until whatever point set by God in His eternal counsel, these offerings were to be made continually and without interruption.

If a war raged around Jerusalem, and the walls were ready to be breached, the offering was not to be withheld from the Lord. If the rains poured down, or if the snow piled deep, the offering was to continue unabated. God did not delay in offering His Son; Israel was not to delay in offering what merely pictured His coming.

The idea for Israel was first to understand that they continuously contracted new defilement which offended the Lord. And so daily they needed His pardon in order for them to continue before Him. Secondly, it was to show them that the worship of Him wasn’t to be limited to a Sabbath day or one of the set feast days, but it was to continue on at all times, and every day of the year.

39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning,

ha’kebes ha’echad taaseh ba’boqer – “the lamb the one you shall offer in the morning.” The first lamb was to be taken and sacrificed as an offering in the morning. There is a lesson for Israel to consider in this act, but there is also a picture of the Christ to come. In a moment we will look at both, but only after seeing what occurs with the second lamb…

39 (con’t) and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.

v’eth ha’kebes ha’shnei taaseh ben ha’arbayim – “and the lamb the second you shall offer between the evenings.” The second lamb was to be sacrificed at a particular time which would later become known as the time of the evening offering, or even simply as the time of the offering. This is found, for example, in the great challenge between the 450 prophets of Baal and Elijah –

“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.'” 1 Kings 18:36, 37

This time became so important to the Jews, that even during exile when the sacrifices had stopped being made, those who were observant still used that time of day to make a sacrifice of prayer, petition, and praise to God. This is seen, for example, in Daniel 9 –

“Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.” Daniel 9:20, 21

For the people of Israel, these two daily sacrifices were to be a reminder of the sin-debt they incurred each night, necessitating a morning sacrifice, and the sin-debt they incurred each day, necessitating an evening sacrifice. An innocent died each morning and each evening as a symbolic reminder of the mercy of God towards them.

Thus, the nation was given a reminder to rededicate itself to the Lord morning by morning and evening by evening. They were to offer themselves as that reasonable living sacrifice that Paul later tells us in the church to be.

The only difference is that instead of considering the death of an innocent little lamb, we are to consider the death of the Lamb of God. How much more then should we treat the offering as holy and worthy of our fullest attention and devotion!

Just as Peter equated Christ with these innocent lambs of the morning and evening sacrifice, Paul asks us to consider our own selves in a similar light, being holy and without spot or blemish –

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

But there is more in this verse to consider. The Hebrew term here is ben ha’arbayim – “between the evenings.” It seems like a perplexing phrase, but one has to consider biblical time. According to the Bible, a day is divided into “evening” and “morning.” Thus there are actually two evenings to be reckoned. The first began after twelve and went through until sunset.

The second evening began at sunset and continued till night, meaning the whole time of twilight. This would therefore be between twelve o’clock and the termination of twilight. Between the evenings then is a phrase which allows the three o’clock sacrifices at the temple to be considered as the evening sacrifice even though to us it would be considered an afternoon sacrifice.

The sacrifice of these two lambs then, one in the morning and one “between the evenings,” meaning at 3pm, then picture the work of Christ on His final day. His final daylight hours are exactingly recorded in the gospels. Luke says this concerning the time which parallels that of the morning sacrifice mandated here in Exodus –

“As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 ‘If You are the Christ, tell us.'” Luke 22:66

And again, Luke tells us of the ending of this day of brutality, torture, and death –

“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:44-46

The same time that Christ began his last day there in front of the chief priests and scribes, the morning offering was being made. And the same time that Christ died on the cross, which is carefully and meticulously recorded in the gospels, was the same time that the evening sacrifice was being made – the sixth hour, or 3pm.

God, knowing in advance of what was to come in the final day of Christ’s earthly ministry in fulfillment of the law, ensured that these two lambs would be sacrificed, day after day and year after year, as a picture of the ultimate sacrifice of His own precious Son.

Now, in the remembrance of the Day, and in the life which was given for us, we can press on in the full assurance that morning by morning and day by day our sins are truly removed and God’s mercy is granted in all its fullness to us. As Christ offered Himself once for all, He is literally therefore a continual sacrifice for us.

What these continual day by day offerings pictured is what we have realized in the absolute sense through our receiving of Christ Jesus the Lord. Because of this, how much more should we be like Daniel and offer our own spiritual sacrifices of prayer, praise, and petition to God both morning and evening and at all times in between. As Matthew Henry says –

“Our daily devotions are the most needful of our daily works, and the most pleasant of our daily comforts. Prayer-time must be kept up as duly as meal-time. Those starve their own souls, who keep not up constant attendance on the throne of grace; constancy in religion brings in the comfort of it.”

A Lamb, spotless, and pure – without any defect
Will be sacrificed in my place
And looking at that Lamb, I can certainly detect
The greatest love and grace… this I see looking upon His face

Oh! That I could refrain and not see Him die
Oh! If there could be any other way
How could this Lamb go through with it for one such as I?
Oh God! This perfect Lamb alone my sin-debt can pay

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Behold the sinless One, there on Calvary’s tree
He has prevailed and the path to heaven has been unfurled
The Lamb of God who died for sinners like you and me

II. Sanctified by Glory (verses 40-43)

40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour

Along with the lambs, other offerings were to be presented. The first such named offering says, v’issaron solet, “and one-tenth of flour.” From later verses, we know it is one-tenth of an ephah of flour. This is the first time that a division of tens is indicated in the Bible using the word issaron, or “the tenth part.”

An ephah is believed to be around 4 1/2 gallons, and so 1/10th of that would be a bit more than 3 lbs of flour. Elsewhere, the tenth part of the ephah is specifically known as an omer. This was to be presented with the first lamb each day. With this it was to be…

40 (con’t) mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil,

The ephah is a measure of dry goods; the hin, now introduced into the Bible, is a measure for liquids. It is believed to be a word of Egyptian origin. Although not certain, a hin is reckoned at about 3/4 of a gallon and so 1/4 of a hin is somewhere around a pint, maybe 1 1/2 pints.

There is to be 1/4  of a hin of shemen kathith or “oil pressed.” The word kathith is used for the second of just five times. It indicates something beaten. It is only used in connection with the olives that have been made into oil. This oil was to be mixed in with the flour and presented as a daily offering along with the first lamb.

The flour is an obvious picture of Christ, the Bread of life, who came down from heaven. It was a reminder that day by day we are to dine on Christ. He is our sustenance and that which nourishes us. The oil from beaten olive pictures the anointing of the Spirit upon Him which was suitable to carry Him through the suffering and trials that He endured.

Together, they made a tasteful food offering to God, just as Christ crucified became our Bread of life. As He is our spiritual meal, then we can and will be able to endure whatever trial or suffering we too may face.

40 (con’t) and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.

The same amount of wine as oil was to be presented to the Lord. However, this was not mixed with the bread, but was poured out as a drink offering. The word for “wine” here is yayin. It is a common word for wine, which was used ten times in Genesis, but is seen just this once in all of Exodus.

It comes from an unused root meaning “to effervesce.” Thus it indicates fermented wine. It is to be considered wine which has alcohol content to it, thus banqueting wine. This is only the second time that a drink offering has been mentioned in Scripture. The first was after Jacob’s night, sleeping on the stone when he had his heavenly dream in Genesis 35 –

“So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.”

Like that drink offering, these were to be wholly poured out to the Lord. The Pulpit Commentary disagrees. They say –

“The application of the “drink-offerings” is uncertain. Josephus says (Ant. Jud. 3:9, § 4) that they were poured out round the brazen altar. But the analogy of the “meat offering” makes it probable that a portion only was thus treated, while the greater part belonged to the priests. In the entire provision by which burnt and peace-offering were to be necessarily accompanied with meat-offerings and drink-offerings, we can scarcely be wrong in seeing an arrangement made especially for the convenience of the priests.” Pulpit Commentary

This is entirely incorrect. The wine contains alcohol content. This was forbidden for the priests to consume during the time they ministered in their duties. This is seen in Leviticus 10:8-11 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: 9 ‘Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, 10 that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 11 and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.'”

There was no prohibition, on the priests or anyone else in Israel, concerning alcohol consumption with but two exceptions. The restriction for the priests as they ministered, and for the Nazirite during the time of a vow, are the only times it is forbidden.

The pouring out of the drink offering signifies the pouring out of the life-blood of Christ for the remission of sins. There is no way God would allow the priests to consume such an offering. In this act can be seen a secondary picture of the outpouring of His love in the offering up of Himself. The three offerings of the lamb, the meal offering, and the wine produce a marvelous picture of a banquet of Christ’s life presented to God and for man.

But for Israel of old, they could only speculate on the meanings of these things. For them, the sacrifice and accompanying offerings would simply be signs of gratitude to God for His everlasting mercies. They would also be a faithful, twice-daily acknowledgment of His protective care and enduring love.

41 And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;

As was noted in the last clause of verse 39, the second lamb was to be offered “at twilight” or literally, “between the evenings” at the time that Christ gave up His spirit on the cross of Calvary. As John Lang describes the two sacrifices –

“The morning sacrifice made atonement for the sins committed in the night, and the evening sacrifice expiated the sins committed during the day.”

This is true in a sense and thus it pictures a continual purification from sin for the people, day unto day and night unto night. As this was merely a picture of Christ to come, in its fullest sense it symbolizes the full atonement and complete expiation of sins for any and all who have received what His life and work offers. Along with this second lamb, there were also other offerings…

41 (con’t) and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning,

The same procedure was to be followed for the bread, oil, and wine in the evening as was conducted in the morning. The cycle was complete in the two sacrifices each day, and the cycle of our redemption was complete beginning on that Friday morning so long ago in Jerusalem and ending at 3pm that same afternoon.

41 (con’t) for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

It should be noted that together, the two offerings are described in this one clause. In other words, the two sacrifices, though separate, actually comprise one whole. Only together do they form to make a complete offering to the Lord. Why is it noted this way?

It is for three specific reasons. The first deals with Israel. These two sacrifices combined were intended to show Israel that they were to consecrate their lives each day anew unto the Lord. So that the entirety of their lives would be included, the two offerings were made continually, both morning and evening.

As long as the law existed, the requirement was to be Israel’s reminder of their consecrated status as the Lord’s holy people. Secondly, they are mentioned together because only together do they picture the final day of the Lord’s earthly ministry before and up to His death.

And so thirdly, they now form for us what Israel only saw in the earthly sacrifices. We are to consecrate our lives each day anew unto the Lord. This is so that the entirety of our lives will be included. The complete and finished work of Christ is to be our constant reminder, both morning and evening.

42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations

The words of the previous clause, “a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire” in Hebrew are masculine. And yet, combined they are call now “a burnt offering.” This is feminine and so it appears there is a gender discord, but this is what Keil calls an ad sensum.

This is “a grammatical construction in which a word takes the gender or number not of the word with which it should regularly agree, but of some other word implied in that word” (Wikipedia). There is a precision of thought and intent in the original which is not seen in our translations.

And now once again, the word tamid, or “continuously” is repeated from verse 38. The offerings were to be perpetual, but it cannot be said forever. They were to continue only as long as the law, for which they were mandated, was in effect.

As a point of doctrine then, it should be noted to those who perpetually reinsert precepts from the law into their Christian doctrine, that they are actually in violation of the law which they insist upon. If the law is in effect, then the sacrifices must be made.

After the consecration of Aaron and his sons, this is the first point that has been considered. It is a continual, or perpetual, statute for the time of the law. If the law is in effect, in any part, then this part must be followed through with. Thus, it is both ridiculous and absurd to assume that one can pick and choose what parts of the Mosaic Law they will adhere to.

It is an all-or-nothing thing. To go with the “all” can only mean condemnation. To go with the “nothing” means a full and complete trusting in Christ alone, of whom each of these things only picture. If you are sticking to precepts of the law – be they tithing or not eating pork – or any other part of the law, in hopes of pleasing God, you are not only failing, you are disgracing the work of His Son and offending Him.

42 (con’t) at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord,

This translation is incorrect in part. It is the door of the tent of meeting, not tabernacle. However, the KJV does even worse by calling it the “tabernacle of the congregation.” This is entirely incorrect. It is ohel moed – the tent of meeting.

They have made the assumption that this is speaking of the door of the courtyard where the altar is more closely placed, but this is not correct. The sacrifices are said to be “at the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord.” This is speaking of the door to the tent of meeting, even though the altar isn’t placed in that exact spot.

The door for the tent is the word pethakh. The gate of the courtyard is the word shaar. They are two entirely different words describing two different things. It is the altar before the door of the tent of meeting where the Lord would meet with the people and commune with them. This is seen in the next words…

42 (con’t) where I will meet you to speak with you.

Most translations do not give a good sense of these words because of our modern use of the word “you.” It says, asher ivaed lakhem shammah l’dabber elekha sham – “where I will meet with you (plural) and speak with you (singular). The reason for the wording is explained quite well by Charles Ellicott –

“This passage determines the meaning of the expression, ‘tent of meeting.’ It was not the place where the congregation met together, for the congregation were forbidden to enter it, but the place where God met His people through their mediator and representative, the high priest, who could there commune with God and obtain replies from Him on all practical matters that were of national importance. … The fact that all communication was to be through the high priest is indicated by the change of person.”

The words in today’s passage have been exceptionally precise and take great thought and consideration to understand. If you try, you can see what is going on rather clearly. Christ is the Altar. Christ is the offerings. Christ is the High Priest. Christ is the Door. Christ is all of these things. Therefore, the Lord is saying that He will speak to us (plural) through Him (singular).

Everything about this edifice, the offerings, the exquisite wording that is used… all of it is intended for us to see the Person and work of Christ for us – both past, present, and on-going – even until forever. This is seen in the next words as well…

43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel,

It is through the entire process of what is being described that the Lord promises to meet with the children of Israel. They meet with Him through the sacrifices and offerings. They meet with him at the altar on which they are made. They meet with him through Aaron and the priests. There in the place, the rituals, and the people, the Lord says that He will meet with the children of Israel

43 (con’t) and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.

In this clause, the words “the tabernacle” are inserted by the translators for either your benefit or as an error. All it says is, v’niqdash bikbodi – “…and I will sanctify by My glory.” The question is, “What will the Lord sanctify by His glory?” Of 20 English translations, here are the options – “the place,” “it,” “the tabernacle,” “that place,” “the Tent,” and “the altar.” Anyone?

The answer is “None of the above.” The tent, the altar, and Aaron and his sons are all mentioned in the next verse as being consecrated. The only entity mentioned in this verse is Israel. It is Israel which is sanctified by the glory of the Lord that is being referred to here. This is later explained explicitly in Ezekiel 37 with these words –

“My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:27-29

In the New Testament, it is Christ who is said to sanctify the people. As each implement, each rite, and each position of the tabernacle merely points to Christ, then this is speaking first and foremost of the people who are sanctified by Him.

This is a higher and more perfect sanctification than the law could ever provide. It is a sanctification which proceeds from the Lord Himself. It is the people who are being sanctified by His glory personally, represented by the various things around them by which they draw near to God.

It is I who consecrates Israel
It is by My glory that this is so
And it is I who can consecrate You as well
To you My holiness I will show

For those who call out from Egypt’s chains
I will respond and break them free
Nothing of the previous bondage now remains
For those who have been released by Me

I am the Lord who sanctifies His people
It is by My glory that this is so
So let them sing their praises from under the steeple
They are mine; let the world know

III. I am the Lord Their God (verses 44-46)

44 So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.

Only after noting that He would sanctify the people of Israel does it now mention sanctification of the list of things which allow for the ministering of the people. Further, it is in the future tense, “And I will consecrate…” It is another indication that what was said in the previous verse is wholly separate from that which is being referred to now.

This is why it is so disastrous to read and be captivated by a single translation of the Bible. Man is fallible and the insertions are man’s fallible words, often incorrectly rendered. This is perfectly evident, once again, even in this verse which the NKJV translates at “tabernacle.” Again, it is the ohel, or tent of meeting and the altar which are first noted as to be sanctified.

44 (con’t) I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.

After the edifice, only then are Aaron and his sons mentioned as to be sanctified by the Lord. As they are a part of the people of Israel, it is logical that they would be mentioned after the tent and the altar if the previous verse was speaking of Israel as a whole.

The separation between the clauses shows that verse 43 refers to the people of Israel. This will become fully evident in the next verse, but before going there, Adam Clarke’s words on this verse, in relation to the ordaining of men as ministers, is worthy of note –

“From this, as well as from many other things mentioned in the sacred writings, we may safely infer that no designation by man only is sufficient to qualify any person to fill the office of a minister of the sanctuary. The approbation and consecration of man have both their propriety and use, but must never be made substitutes for the unction and inspiration of the Almighty. Let holy men ordain, but let God sanctify; then we may expect that his Church shall be built up on its most holy faith.”

The lesson in Clarke’s words has been borne out thousands of times throughout the years. Man ordains, but only God sanctifies. How many pastors and preachers have been ordained by man, but have had no sanctification by God’s Spirit. Hence, it is never wise to put faith in a title such as pope, priest, pastor, or preacher.

Rather, we are to put our faith in God and inspect the man as to whether he is endowed with God’s approval or not. And the only way to do that is to see if he lives in accord with the word which He has given us.

45 I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

As I said a minute ago, the structure of how these verses are put together shows us that verse 43 was speaking of Israel. There is a chiastic structure in verses 43-45 which allows us to see this –

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and they shall be sanctified by My glory.
So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.
I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

The Lord promises to meet with the children of Israel and to sanctify them by His glory. Therefore, He will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. The center of the verses speaks of the tent, the altar, Aaron, and his sons. Each of these has pictured Christ.

Therefore, we can see the picture revealed for us in the church now. Through Christ, in all of His many roles, God meets with us, sanctifies us, dwells with us, and is pleased to call Himself our God. As I said earlier, the passage today is exquisitely structured and the wording is exactingly precise.

Who would have thought when we started through them less than an hour ago that such marvelous treats would be seen in them! And yet, you are learning what so very few people have ever taken the time to learn. Like Israel of old, for us today, it is Christ who directs us, it is He who saves us, it is He who sustains us, it is He who enlightens us, it is He who defends us, and it is He who loves us enough to dwell among us.

In these verses, you are experiencing marvelous depths of wonder that are hardly ever plumbed. You are finding Christ through the revealed mind of God. Be pleased to revel in Him because through these words, there is wonderful assurance…

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God,

It is through Christ who sanctifies His people that we can know Yehovah our God. It is He who dwells among us and who lives in us by His good Spirit. It is by no other name that we can identify with God in this unique, personal, and intimate way.

In the tabernacle, the people saw the working of God and for God. It was through these types and shadows that they could say, “Here is the Lord our God.” As these types and shadows look forward to Christ, then when we see their fulfillment in Him, we can – and without any reservation at all – say, “Here is the Lord our God.”

God has given us the Old only to point us to the New. Let us never squander our rightful position by deferring to the Old and trusting in our own deeds of the law in order to do what Christ has already accomplished and set aside.

46 (con’t) who brought them up out of the land of Egypt,

It is through the sanctification of Israel and all that went along with it that they would know the Lord “who brought them up out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, it is not through the tabernacle itself, nor the altar, nor Aaron that they would know this, but through their sanctification.

This is why the Lord ties this knowledge of Him in with being brought out of Egypt. Otherwise, it makes no sense. The tabernacle was replaced with the temple. The people were exiled to Babylon, the priestly line stopped its sacrifices and offerings, and yet they never forgot that it was the Lord who dwelt among them who brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Thus, we need to remember what Egypt only pictured – our life of sin. We don’t have an altar; we don’t have a tent; we don’t have a high priest. Rather we have the Altar; we have the Tent; and we have the High Priest. All capitals there folks! We have Jesus, the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. It is He who brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and He did it for a most marvelous purpose…

46 (con’t) that I may dwell among them.

Until Christ died for us, we could not be justified. Until we received His work, we remained apart from Him and separate from the covenant promises. But when we called out to Him from our state of bondage, He made another entry on the rolls of heaven’s scroll. He set another space at the heavenly banquet table, and He added on another room to the glorious dwelling where we will reside with Him for all eternity.

But He also gave us of His Spirit so that even now He dwells with us. What Israel realized in type and shadow, we realize in spirit and in truth. We have the fullness of what God offers when He said that He will dwell among us. We have the true Tent, our Lord Jesus Christ. And because we have Christ, we have the absolute fullness of our final words of the day…

*46 (fin) I am the Lord their God.

Ani Yehovah elohehem. If there is one truth which absolutely must be stated again and again and again, it is that Jesus Christ is Yehovah Elohim. He is the Lord God. This is so absolutely evident in Scripture that it takes the very hardest of hearts, or the very dullest of minds to deny it.

Throughout the entire chapter, we have seen literally dozens if not hundreds of pictures of Christ. In today’s nine verses, we have seen countless more. God is calling out through His word to show us what was, what He has done, and what will be in what He will do.

And every single detail of it hinges on our acceptance that He personally stepped out of His eternal realm and united with His creation in order to redeem us from Egypt, our place of bondage to the devil and sin. In that act, He again becomes the Lord our God.

And as certain as any other truth found in the Bible, if we fail to accept that and to receive Him as our Savior, we remain under the devil’s power. The little lambs whose life blood ebbed away at the altar of sacrifice each day make people cringe at the brutality of God who would allow such a thing.

And yet, those innocent little lives were given as a mere type and shadow of something far more precious, and infinitely more valuable. The love of God for humanity impelled Him to do what He did. This is how much He loves the work of His hands, and this is the amazing length that He would go to in order to once again fellowship with us. Through the cross of Christ, God is calling out to you. Will you respond? Call on Christ; marvelous things lie ahead if you do.

Closing Verse: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.'” Revelation 21:3

Next Week: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Our lives are such a very short span… (The Brevity of Man)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

I Will Dwell among Them and be Their God

Now this is what you shall offer on the altar:
Two lambs of the first year
Day by day continually, in this do not falter

One lamb you shall offer in the morning so bright
And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight

With the one lamb shall be
One-tenth of an ephah of flour, such is the proffering
Mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil
And one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering

And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight
And you shall offer with it the grain offering, as to My word
And the drink offering, as in the morning
For a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord

This shall be a continual burnt offering
Throughout your generations, so you shall do
At the door of the tabernacle of meeting
Before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, where I abide
And the tabernacle shall by My glory be sanctified

So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar too
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons
To minister to Me as priests, so shall I do

I will dwell among the children of Israel
And will be their God, as I to you now tell

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God
Who brought them up out of Egypt the land
That I may dwell among them
I am the Lord their God, so they shall understand

Surely You are holy, O God
And this is what You expect also from us
But even now You have accepted us while on this earth we trod
Because of the imputed righteousness of Jesus

How can such a marvelous thing as this be?
That You have granted us to again fellowship with You
Thank You, O God for Jesus, the Lord of glory
Who, through His shed blood has made all things new

And so in His name to You we give our praise
And so shall it be forever and ever, even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 29:26-37 (The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons – Part III)

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Exodus 29:26-37
The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, Part III

We go to the mechanic from time to time to get our car tuned up. Only a dummy would think, “I sure am glad I’m getting this done. Now I’ll never have to come here again.” No. Rather, we get a tune up from time to time in order to keep the car running properly. If for no other reason than a funny clunking sound, we eventually have to go in again for more work.

Some of us have regular intervals we go in. That way, we stay ahead of the game. We are proactive in our mechanical needs. Some of us aren’t so careful and it is the clunking sound that forces us back to the shop. No matter what, we know we will eventually have to go.

In Israel, every time people came to the temple to sacrifice, it reminded them of their sin. It had to be so. They placed their hands on an animal and confessed their transgressions over it. After that, the animal’s throat was cut and its blood was poured out.

Even if they didn’t believe that they deserved what the animal got; even if they didn’t think of themselves as sinful; they were still reminded that the God who they had come to thought they were. There could be no mistaking this as the thing twitched and writhed until it was emptied of its life blood.

These sacrifices were there to remind them of this. And they were required often enough that they were never to forget it. Each year, they would go to Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement. They would also make sacrifices at other times and for other reasons. Each time they made one, they could think, “Gee, I did this before and here I am again. I guess I must need a spiritual tune up.”

The best part about Jesus, if we actually believe His word, is that we have received a permanent tune up – at least concerning the sin-debt that we owe. Aaron and his sons are being consecrated in order to begin a priesthood that would require constant tunes up for the people it served. This included them as well. But Christ, has a priesthood far, far superior to that…

Text Verse: “‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:16, 17

It is a marvel and a wonder. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice took care of the sin debt once and forever. It is, as He said with His dying words on the cross… FINISHED. Now in Christ, there is a remission of sin and there is no longer an offering for sin. We have full pardon, full redemption, and eternal salvation.

As we continue with the consecration rites which will be expected for Aaron and his sons, let us remember this. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Wave and the Heave Offerings (verses 26-28)

26 “Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord;

The ram of the consecration, or literally, the ram of the filling, which began to be detailed in verse 19 last week continues to be described here. Its breast was to be taken and waved before the Lord as a wave offering.

The term for “breast” which is khazeh, is used now for the first of thirteen times. All will be in Exodus through Numbers. It comes from khazah which means “to see” because it is the part that is most seen when looking at the front of the animal. This particular part of the animal has a special significance and was to therefore now be waved before the Lord.

26 (con’t) and it shall be your portion.

This breast which had been waved was to be given to Moses as his “portion.” Here another new word is brought in translated as “portion.” It is manah. It is a noun from a verb which means “to appoint;” thus it is an assigned portion. This word is used, for example, in the tender account of Elkanah and his beloved Hannah which is found in 1 Samuel 1 –

“And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.” 1 Samuel 1:4, 5

The Lord now tells Moses that this breast was to be his. However, later, this same breast which is waved will belong to Aaron and his sons. This is recorded in Leviticus 7:28-32 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 29 ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offering. 30 His own hands shall bring the offerings made by fire to the Lord. The fat with the breast he shall bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. 31 And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. 32 Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.'”

As this is later to be the portion of the priestly line, then we are being shown two things right now. The first is that Moses is acting as the priest in order to establish the priesthood. He is receiving priestly wages for his work.

The second is a logical deduction which can be made from the rite. It is that this is a fallible priesthood which is initiated by a fallible man in the consecration of other fallible men. If they are imperfect, then the law which they minister cannot perfect anyone.

As this is so, then it by necessity must be a temporary priesthood. And if a temporary priesthood, then the law to which they minister must also be temporary. The law which so many confused Christians return to in order to attempt to be pleasing to God is a law of imperfection.

How good it would be for us to simply trust in the greater priesthood of Christ which came through His perfect work. Here, even before the beginning of the Aaronic priesthood, we can learn so much if we will just open our ears, pay heed with our minds, and attend to what the rest of the Bible says about these things!

27 And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons.

There are two actions which can occur with an offering. One is to wave it. A wave offering is moved backwards and forwards and horizontally. This signifies the four directions – north, south, east, and west. This is what was done with the breast. In this type of offering a picture of the cross of Christ is formed.

A heave offering is an offering which is lifted upwards in a single motion. This is what occurred with the thigh. In this is a picture of Christ on the cross. The same word, rum, that is used to describe this offering is used to describe the work of Christ in Isaiah 52 –

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.” Isaiah 52:13

As you can see, each has its own significance, and each pointed to the work of Christ. Every offering of this type, for generation after generation was simply a foreshadowing of the coming work of the Lord. Of this verse and the next verse, the liberal dolts at Cambridge state the following –

“The verses (which do not agree with vv. 22, 24; for the thigh which was there burnt on the altar is here to be the perquisite of the priests) are probably a later insertion, correcting v. 26, and harmonizing (though imperfectly) vv. 22, 25 with the practice that was usual in the case of a peace-offering, viz. for the priests to receive both the breast and the right thigh…” Dolts at Cambridge

In other words, these liberal scholars see this verse as being in error and inserted afterwards in order to harmonize the instructions with what would later occur with all such offerings. Verses 22 and 24 show that the right thigh was to be burned on the altar as a sweet aroma before the Lord.

In not understanding the intent of this verse, they make the immediate assumption that it is in error because it now says that the right thigh was to be given to Aaron and his sons. If it was burned on the altar, then how could it have been given to Aaron and his sons? But they are incorrect in their analysis.

If one refers to the actual ordination of Aaron and his sons in Leviticus 8, it is evident that burning the thigh of the consecration  is exactly.what.does.occur –

“And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar. 25 Then he took the fat and the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh; 26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh; 27 and he put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering. They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma.” Leviticus 8:24-28

There is no contradiction in this verse and verses 22 & 24. Rather, this is a short digression to explain that from the time after the consecration, the right thigh was to belong to Aaron and his sons. However, for the ordination, this was not given to them. Instead it was offered to the Lord on their behalf. They weren’t yet ordained. Therefore they were not yet given the rights of ordained priests.

Rather than being cumbersome, contradictory, or confused, it is a logical time to show that the ordination was the exception to the rule of the right thigh. The dolts at Cambridge get no credit for their analysis. Instead, they get shameful demerits for not thinking this verse through, for not checking the passage which concerns the actual ordination, and for attempting to appear smart when they actually have made themselves look doltish and uneducated by trying to find fault in God’s word.

28 It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever.

The rights of the offerings were to be l’khaq olam or “by statute forever.” This is not to be taken in the ultimate sense that we think of when we use the word “forever.” Rather, olam gives the sense of “to the vanishing point.”

In the context of the Aaronic priesthood, it would last until the coming of the Messiah who would fulfill the types and pictures of the Old Covenant. At that time, the law would pass away, being superseded by that which the law only anticipated. Until that time though, the giving of the breast and thigh to Aaron was to be a permanent statute. And there is a reason for this…

28 (con’t) For it is a heave offering; it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the Lord.

The breast of the wave offering was given to Aaron and his sons because Aaron bore the breastplate of judgment upon his breast for the sons of Israel. The right thigh was to be given to them because he bore the memorial stones on his shoulders for them as well.

As he carried the responsibility and burden of them upon himself, these offerings were to be given in kind to him. The contrast between this offering and the burnt-offering of verses 15-18 is summed up very well by Benson –

“In the burnt-offering, God had the glory of their priesthood, in this they had the comfort of it.” Benson

The meaty and wholesome parts of the animal were given to Aaron and his sons as a comforting aspect of their high responsibilities before the Lord.

An offering waved to my God
To the four corners of the earth I offer it
In hopes that through acceptance together we will trod
And so to Him, this offering I submit

An offering lifted high to my God
I raised it up and petition Him for my life
In hopes that through acceptance together we will trod
And that between us will end, our state of strife

An offering raised up to My God above
And an offering lifted up to Him on High
On behalf of the people that I love
I will be raised on Calvary’s cross, there to die

II. Imputed Holiness (verses 29-34)

29 “And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him,

Verses 29 & 30 are now a new digression, but by no means an illogical or misplaced one. Verse 31 in thought follows logically after verse 28, but at some point the matter of the garments of Aaron, which were made specifically for the office of high priest, must be addressed. What will happen to them when he dies?

The answer is found in these two verses. The logic of placing these two verses here is evident. The ram of the ordination, or the “ram of the filling” is that by which the office is filled. Therefore, to mention this now concerning the garments for the office which is held is appropriate and precise.

In this is another hint of the temporary nature of the law. Noting that the garments of Aaron were to pass down to his sons after him shows that he would, in fact, die. Thus nothing is made perfect through the Aaronic priesthood.

If Aaron is the representative of the law before the Lord, and if he is to die, then it implies that his sinful state remained. Further, if the designated representative before the Lord died, then those on whose behalf he ministered for were also not perfected. This is explained in Hebrews 10 –

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Hebrews 10:1-4

However, at the time of the establishment of the priesthood, these things weren’t expected to be thought through. Only now as we look at the whole counsel of God can we clearly see the temporary nature of the law, and the limitations that went along with the associated offices and rites connected to it. Only in Christ is that which is perfect and eternal realized.

As far as the passing on of these garments, the transfer of them from Aaron is noted in Numbers 20:24-28 –

“‘Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.’ 27 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.”

This is the only time that the transfer of these garments is noted in Scripture, but it would have been the regular custom at the death of each high priest. As long as the garments lasted, they were to be passed on. We can only assume that as they wore out, new ones were made to replace them.

29 (con’t) to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them.

The Hebrew is more expressive than the English here. l’mashkha bahem u-l’maleh bam eth yadam. Only Young’s gives a proper, literal translation of what it says –

“…to be anointed in them, and to consecrate in them their hand;” (YLT)

To consecrate them in their hand goes back to the idea of filling the hand for the duties of the job. The hand of the man performs the tasks of the job. And so to fill their hand in the rite of consecration then makes the work of their hands acceptable to the Lord. Thus, whoever was to perform the priestly duties was to be properly anointed and consecrated for the office.

30 That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place.

Again, as has been noted elsewhere, it is not the “tabernacle of meeting” but the “tent of meeting.” The word ohel signifies a tent. Aaron would be the first priest to be so ordained. This is recorded in Leviticus 8 –

“And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you. 34 As he has done this day, so the Lord has commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 35 Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.” Leviticus 8:33-36

The number seven, as has already been seen, is the number of perfection. It corresponds to countless occurrences in Scripture. Why seven days is chosen for this rite of ordination then should be explained. Seven represents spiritual perfection.

Looking at the different ways to arrive at seven, we can see several important truths. The first is one plus six. As a cardinal number, one denotes unity; as an ordinal it denotes primacy; six is the number of man. Thus, the ordination of Aaron shows the unity of the office and the primacy of the man in relation to all others in Israel.

The second is two plus five. Two is the number of difference or division; five is the number of grace. In this then, there is the idea that the office of High Priest is a distinct office through which grace is offered.

And the third is three plus four. Three is the number of divine perfection – that which is real, solid, substantial, and complete; four is the number of creation. In this then we see the uniting of body and soul.

These seven days set aside for ordination follow logically and perfectly with each formation of the number. Aaron is being prepared to be the sole man to assume the high priestly role. He is the “set apart man” through whom the grace of God is transmitted to His people. And, he is the man who is to be prepared both physically and spiritually for the accomplishment of the tasks set before him.

However, this ordination is only a shadow of the true ordination of Christ as our eternal High Priest who literally fulfills what Aaron only pictures. This seven day period is only given as a prefiguring of the greater High Priest to come.

31 “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place.

The rest of the animal which was not burnt on the altar or given to Moses as the officiating priest will be taken and boiled, as it says, “in the holy place.” However, this will be further defined in Leviticus 8 to not be specifically in the holy place, but at its door –

“And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, ‘Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings…'” Leviticus 8:31

32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

In verses 23-25, one of each of the three types of bread were taken from the basket and presented to the Lord as a part of the burnt offering. That which remained, along with the flesh of the ram, was to be eaten by the door of the tent of meeting.

If you remember, each of those types of bread individually pictured Christ. The ram has also pictured Christ. Thus this meal is symbolically a partaking of His body. As He said in John, “My flesh is food indeed” (John 6:55), and “I am the Bread of life” (John 6:35).

The sharing of it between the Lord and Aaron and his sons is intended to solidify the bond between them. Christ, being He who unites the heavenly and the earthly as One. All during the week of ordination, they were being spiritually prepared for their lifelong duties as priests to the Lord, as is next made explicit…

33 They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them;

The purpose of the food is to consecrate and sanctify them. But how was this possible? It is because these were the things with which atonement was made. This is really the first time this word, kaphar or atonement, is used in the Bible in this sense.

It has only been used twice so far. The first was when Noah covered the ark with pitch in Genesis 6:14. The second time is when Jacob set about to appease, or cover, the anger of his brother Esau with a gift in Genesis 32:20.

Now it is used for the third time indicating the covering or atonement of the sins of Aaron and his sons. This covering or atonement is simply a combination of the words “at-one-ment.” In others words, the intent of atonement is to reconcile through the covering. Peace and harmony is restored.

In the case of Aaron and his sons, the need for atonement actually highlights their failings. They needed a sacrifice for themselves. In this foreshadowing of Christ, we see how He far excelled the Aaronic priesthood. He had no sins of His own.

The sacrifices of Aaron were first for himself and only then for the sins of others. However, the atonement of Christ’s sacrifice was exclusively for the sins of others. God in His grace and mercy accepted the temporary covering of the death of animals until the time when He would send Jesus to be the final, permanent sacrifice for the sins of those He would redeem.

33 (con’t) but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy.

The “outsider,” or zuwr, is introduced into the Bible here. In this context it means anyone who was not of the ordained priestly line of Aaron, not even a regular Levite. This word comes from a primitive root which means to turn aside, as if for lodging. And so it speaks of a stranger or a foreigner. It is someone who is not a part of what is going on in the usual dealings of a place or matter. Because the food was considered holy, only someone who was consecrated as holy was to partake of it.

34 And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

This is a direct command which is very similar to that of the Passover sacrifice. Concerning that sacrifice in Exodus 12, it said –

“You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.” Exodus 12:10

The consecration offerings, like the Passover, were not to be eaten on the second day. Instead, they were to be burnt with fire. The reason for this is specifically given – “…because it is holy.” The holiness of God is what is to be impressed upon their minds. Food which had gone through the night was susceptible to corruption. This would be unacceptable to consume when considering God’s holy and incorruptible nature.

Further, it was exclusively to be eaten by the priests. If not, it was to be returned to God by fire, not passed on to another. If another ate of it, it would diminish the entire ordination process because they were not so ordained. It would be, in essence, mixing the holy with the profane.

And finally, if something which was devoted to a sacred use was given to someone else, they could then use it as an object of superstitious worship of some sort, such as a talisman. Like the Passover which pictured Christ so well, no such thing was to happen to the holy food of the consecration which also pictures Him in every detail.

The offering shall be pure and undefiled
And it shall not be allowed to become corrupt
Upon you with My grace I have smiled
Therefore, let nothing our fellowship interrupt

The offering shall be pure, not stained with sin
It shall be holy as I am also holy
Only through holiness can you the victory win
This is how it is and how it shall be

The offering is Pure and Undefiled
It is Pure and not stained with sin
Upon My people through Jesus I have smiled
For them and through His holiness, the victory He did win

III. A Holy Offering to the Lord (verses 35-37)

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them.

What this verse is telling us is that this same ceremony was to be conducted, not just on the first day, but on each day for seven days. This means that no matter what day the rite was started on, it would include at least one Sabbath. And yet, there was no guilt to be imputed for having conducted the priestly affairs on a Sabbath.

This is spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 12:5, where the priests are said to profane the Sabbath and yet remain blameless. This is just the first of such recorded instances in Scripture. The priestly functions were to progress on without regard to a Sabbath. Again, it is showing a distinction between the holy and the profane.

If a priest were not on duty, they would be required to observe the Sabbath, but if they were on duty, they would not be so required. Further, if they were called to duty on the Sabbath, they would be held guiltless. This is seen in the record of the fateful end of the wicked queen Athaliah –

“‘This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.’
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.” 2 Chronicles 23:4-8

36 And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement.

Each of the seven days of the ordination, a bull was to be sacrificed as “a sin offering for atonement.” This looked forward to “the full and complete atonement for sin by the sacrifice of Christ.” This again takes us back to the number seven and its derivatives.

As I noted, and as just one example, three plus four is seven. Three is the number of divine perfection – that which is real, solid, substantial, and complete; four is the number of creation. In this then we see the uniting of body and soul.

The bull pictures Christ, the High Priest. The blood pictures His blood covering, or atoning, for our sin. And so the seven pictures Him as the God/Man who is wholly capable of accomplishing this atonement.

He was wasn’t just an offering for sin; He was made to be sin that we, by imputation of His righteousness, might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is all being pictured in these verses which are so quickly passed over by most who dare to read them even just one time.

36 (con’t) You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.

The cleansing of the altar here shows us a rather important truth which is found in the Bible. Sin is considered in a much wider sense than we tend to think of it. The biblical aspect of sin is that it can even infect a material object. That which is unholy is defiled, and defilement is sin. This is seen explicitly in Haggai 2 –

“On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’”
Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
13 And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”
So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.” Haggai 2:10-14

In order to consecrate the altar, he had to make atonement for the sin of the altar. But where did that come from? It came from the sinful men who erected it. Further, the materials used in it are a part of the fallen creation.

Therefore, at least symbolically, it had to be made acceptable so that the gifts laid upon it would also be acceptable. John Lange, however, asks an obvious question concerning the state of the priests who would minister at it and their own sinful state. Did their sin also transfer to the altar?

“But as yet there can be no reference to this source of impurity; for in that case how could the priests ever make atonement for the altar?” John Lange

It is a good question, but the fact that the High Priest had to continue to sacrifice for his own sins year by year on the Day of Atonement showed that he was still a man with sin. The atonement for the altar was not made by sinless priests at all. And yet, the altar was to be considered acceptable for use.

Hence, once again, we see that the service of these men under the law, and thus the law itself, was to only be a temporary stepping stone in God’s greater redemptive workings. The law could save none. Nor could it truly bring a state of sinless perfection to man.

In the sanctification of the altar, it was set apart for sacred use. It was also deemed as holy so that the gifts offered upon it would be holy. This is seen in Matthew 23 –

“Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.” Matthew 23:19, 20

However, in Christ the true Altar, we read that He sanctified Himself, so that our lives as gifts to God might be acceptable to Him. This is seen in John 17 –

“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:18, 19

37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it.

This is now the third time that an interval of seven days is mandated. The first was in verse 30 concerning consecration of the son to replace Aaron. The second was in verse 35 concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons. And now we have this time concerning the atonement and sanctification of the altar.

Once the period of seven days, with its associated rites, was complete then the altar would be ready for service as is seen next…

37 (con’t) And the altar shall be most holy.

Literally, it says ha’mizbeakh qodesh qadashim – an altar, holiness of holinesses. From that time forward, the altar would be considered acceptable for the offering of the gifts of the people to the Lord. Because of its most holy status, the result is the final words of our verses today…

*37 (fin) Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

Scholars disagree on what is meant here. Ellicott and those in agreement with him say that it should read as the NKJV, “Whatever touches the altar must be holy.” He says –

“…nothing which is not holy must touch it. The future has the force of an imperative, as in the Ten Commandments.”

However, other scholars disagree and say that it should read, “…whatever touches the altar shall be made holy.” (Jubilee Bible). Their stand is that –

“…this may be understood as implying that whatever was laid on the altar became the Lord’s property, and must be wholly devoted to sacred uses, for in no other sense could such things be sanctified by touching the altar.” Adam Clarke

The second is correct. The altar was once and for all sanctified as holy so that whatever was offered upon it would become holy. Further, that which was unholy and which touched it became set apart as devoted to the Lord. This is seen in the account of Joab going into the altar to seek mercy in 1 Kings 2. He was not holy when he went in, but his fate was devoted to the Lord through the word of Solomon.

So why is this important? The answer is that the altar pictures Christ. Our offerings to God are made holy through Him. They are not holy in and of themselves. Nor can our touching Him in a defiled state make Him impure. This is seen in the account of the woman with the flow of blood in Luke 8 –

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:43-48

As with all things in the Bible which may seem obvious on the surface, the truth is that more often than not, there is more to what is going on than meets the eyes. Christ was not defiled by the unclean woman, and yet she – meaning her offering of faith – was deemed holy by God and accepted because she had offered upon the true Altar.

These verses, some of which seem so immensely different that the religion we espouse in knowing Christ, are actually intricately tied up in who He is and what He has done and still does for us. The law had to come and these rites and rituals needed to be given first before we could realize our need for that which is greater.

The temporary atonement of a bull or a ram, being graciously offered by God, could never truly perform the function it was given for. It could only temporarily stay off His wrath and provide us with His mercy and grace. The law was necessary, but thank God that the law is now fulfilled and set aside.

In Christ, we have the fullness of what was actually lacking in the law. We have peace with God, we have atonement for our sins, and we have full redemption as sons of God – all by mere faith in His marvelous provision. Let us never forget this as we read these sometimes difficult passages. We have what they only pictured. We have Jesus; sweet Jesus. If you have never received the precious gift of Christ Jesus; do it today!…

Closing Verse: “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:11-14

Next Week: Exodus 29:38-46 Wonderful words through which we will trod (I Will Dwell Among Them and be Their God) (82nd Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

Then you shall take the breast
Of the ram of Aaron’s consecration
And wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; per His behest
And it shall be your portion

And from the ram of the consecration
You shall consecrate the breast
Of the wave offering which is waved
And the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, it is the best

Of that which is for Aaron, as I tell you
And of that which is for his sons too

It shall be from the children of Israel
For Aaron and his sons by a statute forever, so I to you tell

For it is a heave offering
It shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel
(hear My word)
From the sacrifices of their peace offerings
That is, their heave offering to the Lord

And the holy garments of Aaron
Shall be his sons’ after him, so shall you do
To be anointed in them
And to be consecrated in them too

That son who becomes priest in his place
Shall for seven days put them on
When he enters the tabernacle of meeting
To minister in the holy place, these he shall don

And the ram of the consecration you shall take
And boil its flesh in the holy place
A boiling of its flesh you shall make

Then Aaron and his sons shall
The flesh of the ram, they shall be eating
And the bread that is in the basket
By the door of the tabernacle of meeting

They shall eat those things
With which the atonement was made, so shall it be
To consecrate and to sanctify them
But an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy

And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings
Or of the bread, remains until the morning – do hear Me
Then you shall burn the remainder with fire
It shall not be eaten, because it is holy

Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons
According to all that I have commanded you to do
Seven days you shall consecrate them
According to all that I instruct to you

And you shall every day offer a bull
As a sin offering for atonement, yes each day
You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it
And you shall anoint it to sanctify it, as to you I say

Seven days you shall make atonement
For the altar and sanctify it, according to these words from Me
And the altar most holy shall be
Whatever touches the altar must be holy

Lord God Almighty, we thank you for what You have done
You have made us a kingdom of priests to You
And it is only because of the work of Your Son
It is only because of what He alone did do

And so we do thank You and we give You praise
Yes, Lord God Almighty, we shall do so… even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

Exodus 29:1-14 (The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons – Part I)

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Exodus 29:1-14
The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, Part I

Towards the end of chapter 28, the Lord told Moses the purpose of the special garments which were made for Aaron and his sons. In verse 41, he said –

“So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.” Exodus 28:41

The covenant was cut, the law was confirmed, and the place where the law would be administered has been described. Further, the instructions for making the garments of those who would administer the law has been given. Every detail has ultimately pointed to the work of Christ.

And so before going on, it needs to be noted that if each of these things which has been given to administer the law point to Christ, then in Christ’s coming, they are no longer needed. The ark and its mercy seat; the table of showbread; the menorah; the tabernacle and the tent; the courtyard; each pillar and socket – all of it.

If Christ fulfilled these pictures, then the items are no longer needed. And if there is no longer a need for an ark or a mercy seat or a temple to contain them, then the law which these things detailed is no longer in effect. One cannot have a law without one to minister that law. And one cannot have a minister of the law if there is no place to minister.

This should be as clear as crystal to Christians. And yet, the heresy of reinstating the law into our theology never ceases to raise its ugly head. And so, even before looking at the consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood of the law, let us remember this truth. The law and everything associated with it only pointed to Christ, including this priesthood. The author of Hebrews explains this…

Text Verse: “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.” Hebrews 7:12, 13

Let us never lose sight of this fundamental truth as we now turn to the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood; a priesthood which only remained in effect until it was superseded by the work of Christ, our true High Priest who descends not from Aaron, but from Judah.

This is why the author of Hebrews almost immediately follows up with words that tell us that the Law of Moses is annulled “because of its weakness and unprofitableness.” The law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, in Christ there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we can now draw near to God.

In Christ, we have a new priesthood, an eternal one which is superior to the law in all ways. We have a Mediator who is without sin and who will never fail us. Let us remember this truth as we look at the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood. These were fallible men administering a law of bondage and death.

However, it is a necessary part of the redemptive story. By seeing the failings of this priesthood, the glory of Christ’s priesthood stands out all the more radiantly. It is all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Investiture of Aaron and His Sons (Verses 1-9)

“And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them

As I said, at the end of chapter 28, Moses was given instructions to anoint, consecrate, and sanctify Aaron and his sons. We will now be given the specific process by which this is to be accomplished. In Leviticus 8, the actual rites which are prescribed here will be carried out.

The word translated here as “hallow” means to sanctify. It is what is required in order to set them apart for their duties. Five things will be accomplished in order to sanctify them. The first is washing. This is found in verse 4. The next will be investiture of them with the garments of the priesthood. This will be seen in verses 5-9.

After this, will come the anointing mentioned in verse 7. After that will be the sacrifices of the bull and the rams. This is recorded in verses 10-23. And finally, will be the filling of the hand as recorded in verse 24. This filling will be for the purpose of a wave offering. Charles Ellicott notes the purpose of these five acts –

“All of these were symbolical acts, typical of things spiritual—ablution, of the putting away of impurity; investiture, of being clothed with holiness; unction, of the giving of Divine grace, &c.; the entire consecration forming an acted parable, very suggestive and full of instruction to such as understood its meaning.” Charles Ellicott

Here in verse 1, the offerings are mentioned first. The Pulpit Commentary says this is because it was to have them “in readiness when the investiture and anointing were over.” This is incorrect. Moses is still on the mountain and only receiving instructions. He isn’t actually there, ready to do the prescribed tasks. The same thing here is happening as that which occurred with the mentioning of such things as at other times, like the ark and the mercy seat being mentioned first before all other furniture.

The thing which sanctifies is mentioned first. In the case of the animals, it is their shed blood which will be used to cover the sins of Aaron and his sons. For this reason, the bull and rams are named first. Each step of the process is showing us the holiness of God and the need for atonement, even for the high priestly line.

1 (con’t) for ministering to Me as priests:

It should be understood that these things were required, and they allowed Aaron and his sons to minister to the Lord, but they did not make them perfect. This will be seen throughout the history of Israel under the law. Further, when the high priest sacrificed for Israel each year on the Day of Atonement, he first had to sacrifice for his own sins. Therefore, the Aaronic priesthood is one of imperfection, but established by grace and with mercy. Were this not given, these men would be unacceptable as priests to the Lord.

1 (con’t) Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

The first portion of the hallowing process is to take one young bull. The word is par. It comes from parar, which means “to defeat.” Par means “a bullock” because it breaks “forth in wild strength.” It may also have a reference to dividing the hoof.

They are also instructed to take two rams. The ram is ayil. This comes from uwl, meaning “mighty.” Therefore, it indicates strength or anything strong. In the case of a ram, it is the strong animal of the flock.

Those selected are to be “without blemish.” The Hebrew word is tamim, which means “blameless” or “perfect.” It was first used to describe Noah in Genesis 6:9. Later, the Lord told Abraham to “walk before me and be tamim (or blameless).” It is also the word used to describe the Passover lamb of Exodus 12. Now, for the fourth time in the Bible, it is used to indicate the animals which are to be sacrificed in place of Aaron and his sons.

2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour).

Meal offerings are next mentioned. They are a bloodless offering, but each is specifically noted as being unleavened. Leaven, or yeast, in the Bible pictures sin. Just as bread puffs up when leavened, man puffs up in pride, arrogance, or wickedness through sin. It is also something that causes corruption, just as sin is what causes corruption in man.

The first bread is simply lekhem, or bread. We will see in verse 23 that this is a round loaf of bread. The circle in the Bible signifies that which is divine and eternal. It has no beginning or end.

The second bread is khallah, a new word introduced into the Bible. It comes from khalal, meaning “to pierce.” Therefore it is pierced or punctured cakes. These cakes were to be mixed with oil. The third is another new type of bread, raqiq. This comes from raqaq, which means “to spit.” So it is a thin cake, like a wafer. These wafers were to be smeared with oil.

Each of these was to be made of soleth khittim or fine wheat flour. The word khittah or “wheat” comes from the word khanat, which means to make spicy, to embalm, or to ripen. The flour, or solet, comes from an unused root meaning “to strip.” Thus it is fine flour. It has only been seen once so far in the Bible, at the time of Abraham. When the Lord appeared to him on the way to destroying Sodom, we read these words –

“So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.'” Genesis 18:6

We will see that these will all be waved before the Lord. It was to be an acknowledgement that bread is what sustains the body, and that the mercy which allows man to be acceptable before God comes solely by an act of grace.

3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams

It’s always curious to come to a verse like this. One must ask why the Lord is so specific about them bringing the three types of loaves in sal ekhad, or ” basket one.” Is this entirely necessary? Couldn’t He have just said, “Bring them in a basket,” or “Bring those along with the animals”?

And yet, there is great specificity which asks us to stop and consider why one basket is specified. The sal, or “basket,” comes from the word salal, which means “to build.” Thus it indicates a basket which is built up through the weaving process, specifically with a type of willow branch.

4 “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting,

The translation is incorrect. It is “the tent of meeting,” not the “tabernacle of meeting.” The word is ohel, signifying a tent, not mishkan, which would be the tabernacle itself. At this door of the tent, an item which is not yet described, known as the bronze laver, will be placed. That will have a specific purpose in the rituals of the priests as they minister to the Lord.

4 (con’t) and you shall wash them with water.

As part of the ordination process, Moses is to wash Aaron and his sons with water. This implies an entire washing of their bodies. At this strategic place, just between where the people were allowed to come, and the entrance to the place where the Lord dwelt, they were to be prepared for being acceptable to enter His presence.

The people would be witnesses of this part of the process, and it was intended to allow them to see that they remained unclean and unacceptable to enter where their King was. Only those chosen and properly prepared could do so. After this washing of their bodies, the laver will be used differently. This is seen in Exodus 30 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.” Exodus 30:17-21

Each step, they are being progressively instructed in the holiness of God and the need to be pure and undefiled as they approached Him on behalf of the people.

5 Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod.

Two of the things previously described, the sash and the Urim and Thummin, are not mentioned. Also, the order here for two of the pieces of clothing is inverted. When the clothing of them is actually done in Leviticus 8, the missing items will be mentioned and the two inverted items will be noted in the right order.

For now, only basic instructions are given. These instructions now are not in error, but they are noted according to what the Lord determines is needed in order for Moses to clearly understand what is expected for the ordination process.

You should remember now that the clothing of Aaron and his sons only occurs after their washing. However, the continued washing of their hands and feet in the regular discharge of their duties occurs after they are clothed. Why is this something we should remember? Because you will be given a test on it at the end of the sermon to see if you remember.

6 You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.

The turban is what is to adorn Aaron’s head and the holy crown is to adorn the turban. This “holy crown” is the “plate of pure gold” mentioned in verse 28:36. Here it is called netser ha’qodesh, or “crown, the holy.” The word netser is introduced here. It comes from nazar, which means “to consecrate.” It indicates something set apart and includes the idea of the Nazirite who is found in Numbers 6. There is to be a separation noted between Aaron and all others, highlighted by this marvelous holy crown.

7 And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.

The anointing oil was first mentioned in Exodus 25:6, but its specific makeup will not be explained until chapter 30. Again, this is not out of order, but rather the use, being given before the makeup of the substance, follows logically along with the other prioritized items so far.

This special anointing oil will be used to anoint Aaron, his sons, and the tabernacle along with everything in it. As far as the means of anointing Aaron, it was poured or smeared on his head in an extravagant amount. His sons however would simply be sprinkled with this oil. The anointing of Aaron was remembered by David in a most vivid way in the 133rd Psalm –

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.” Psalm 133:1-3

8 Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them.

The clothing of the sons is intended to set them apart for their priestly duties. Though not in the mediatorial role of Aaron, the sons are consecrated to perform the necessary services required for the care of the people of Israel. They are also set apart for the care of the items in the holy place of the tabernacle.

9 And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them.

The second and third of the three designations of the priestly office are noted here. They were to be girded with sashes and have the hats placed on their heads. These three items then are the standard dress expected of the priests as they ministered for the people and before the Lord.

9 (con’t) The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute.

In these words, confusion can arise unless one understands what the Lord means. The priesthood will last only as long as the law lasts. If the law is annulled, then the priesthood ends with the annulling of the law. When the Messiah came who fulfilled all of the types and shadows of the law, and who also fulfilled living out the law, then the law was set aside and the priesthood ended.

The word for “perpetual” is olam. It means “the vanishing point.” It can mean eternity, but in the case of the law, it is not to be so understood. The law would serve its purpose, and as long as it was in effect, the priesthood would belong to the line of Aaron.

9 (con’t) So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

u-mileta yad ad aharon v’yad ba’nav – literally, “…and you shall fill (the) hand of Aaron and (the) hand of his sons.” In the ordination and consecration of Aaron and his sons, they would be set apart as acceptable concerning the offerings which filled their hands from the people and to the Lord. Thus, the term “fill the hand” indicates their acceptability and thus their consecration.

Clothed in righteousness, adorned in white
Cleansed by the blood of the Lamb
Now our garments are pure; clean and bright
Saved forevermore by the Great I AM

We are now priests unto the Most High God
We have been brought new unto Him by the blood of the Lamb
Forever and ever golden streets we will trod
Saved forevermore by the Great I AM

Throughout the ages we will serve the Eternal King
Subjects of His kingdom because of the blood of the Lamb
For endless, ceaseless ages to Him we shall sing
Saved forevermore by the Great I AM

II. The Slaying of the Bull (Verses 10-14)

10 “You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull.

The KJV incorrectly says, “…thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought.” It is not “a” bull, but “the” bull mentioned in verse 1. It was to be set apart because it was “without blemish.” The KJV confuses this and diminishes the importance of what is being said.

This bull, without any blemish, was to be brought to the door of the tent, not the tabernacle. There before the tent, they were to place their hands on the bull’s head. In this is symbolically a transfer of the sin and imperfection of the men to the bull.

In this act, the bull thus takes on the curse which they deserve for their sins and it is transferred to the bull. As the animal is accursed, it must die. Thus we have what is known as a vicarious substitute. The sin is symbolically removed from the one and transferred to the other. Therefore, one life is given in place of another.

11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

It is Moses who is instructed to kill the bull. He will act as the priest pro-tempore until Aaron and his sons are fully consecrated as priests. In this verse, we see something which occurs from time to time. Instead of saying. “…kill the bull before Me,” it says, “…kill the bull before the Lord.”

The words are intended to be fulfilled in the future, at a specific time and at a specific place. Therefore, even though He is speaking about having this accomplished in His own presence, He still uses the formal term “before the Lord.”

A way of understanding this would be for the president to say to a person on a mission, “You are to get this document and bring it directly to the office of the president.” The matter is so important, that the stress is laid on the position rather than the person. In the case of the Lord, as He is both position and Person, He uses the term “before the Lord.”

12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger,

Once the bull was bled out, it would be a confirmation of the death of the animal for “the life is in the blood” according to Leviticus 17:11. With this proof of the death of the substitute, then some of its blood was to be put on the horns of the altar with his finger.

The horns, or qarnoth, of the altar are the place of mercy and safe refuge. Further, horns are a symbol of strength. For the blood to be placed on them signified the granting of mercy and the allowance of safety from the wrath which had been transferred to the bull. As there are four horns pointing toward the four corners of the earth, it further symbolizes the power of the act to fully save and cleanse the sinner. David understood this when he wrote these words –

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1, 2

Another point is that Moses is specifically told to apply the blood with his finger. The word etsbah, or finger, has only been used one time so far in Scripture, in Exodus 8:19 when the magicians of Pharaoh ascribed the plague of the lice to the “finger of God.”

The word etsbah comes from another word, tsebah, which indicates dyed material and thus one gets the idea of grasping something. Therefore, the finger is that which accomplishes a task. The creation is said to be the work of the Lord’s fingers in the 8th Psalm. Thus in this verse, the mercy, the refuge, and the remission of the sins is granted by God, but it is accomplished by the work of the mediator’s fingers.

12 (con’t) and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.

After the proof of death has been testified to on the horns of the altar, the rest of the blood was to be poured out at the base of the altar. This signifies the complete removal of the life-force which bore the sins of Aaron and his sons.

13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.

As new words come into the Bible, I always try to highlight them to you. In this verse are three new words – the yothereth, or lobe; the kabed, or liver; and the kilyah, or kidneys. One must wonder why these particular parts of the animal were to be burnt on the altar. The fat around the entrails signifies the health of life, its abundance. This is seen, for example, from David in Psalm 63 –

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” Psalm 63:5

The liver signifies the seat of emotions and feeling. It is used synonymously with disposition and character. In Lamentations, Jeremiah says –

“My eyes fail with tears; my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people because the children and the sucklings faint in the streets of the city.” Lamentations 2:11 (Jubilee Bible)

The kidney’s position within the body makes them almost inaccessible. When an animal is cut up, they will be the last organs which are reached. Because of this, the kidneys symbolize the hidden parts of man, and thus the mind.

These then were to be offered to the Lord because they symbolized those most intimate aspects of the person. They are the very substance of who he is. The life of the animal was given in exchange for the sins of the men. Therefore, these attributes of theirs were being offered to Him in fire on the altar.

In fact, the word for “burn” here is qatar. It is a new word in the Bible and it gives the idea of the smoke of incense. It is the act of turning something into a fragrance by fire. These parts of the animal, signifying these most intimate aspects of the person, were to become as incense to the Lord.

14 But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp.

The rest of the entire animal was to be taken outside the camp and burned with fire. Nothing of it was to remain and none of it was to be eaten. The animal was under a curse, and thus to eat it would be symbolic of taking the sin into oneself.

Instead, it was to be returned to the old order of things where sin remained. In its place, those for whom the animal died would be reckoned under the new order of things. They would be new men with a new nature, cleansed from their defilement before the Lord.

One new word in this verse is peresh, meaning dung. It is translated here as offal (and dung is usually pretty awful!). It is what passes through. The entire animal, including what was inside of it, was to be wholly burnt outside the camp.

*14 (fin) It is a sin offering.

These last words of the day show us the imperfection of the Aaronic priesthood. Because these were fallible men who required sacrifices for themselves before they could sacrifice for the people, the priesthood could not endure forever. It could only do so until it was replaced by the One who would be perfect and without a need of sacrificing for His own sins. Only then could man truly be purified of the stain of sin which had clung steadfastly to him since the fall of his first father.

The bull is slain, his blood poured out
The proof of the death is evident in the bowl of blood
But for that bull, don’t shed a tear or pout
Sin is atoned for by the crimson flood

There! On the cross of Calvary hangs a Man
For the sins of mankind, was shed His blood
We ask, “Can it truly atone for sin? God says, “Yes, it can!”
And so we plunge ourselves ‘neath that crimson flood

And through His death, our High Priest He came to be
When He went behind the veil and presented His blood
He did this because of God’s love – for you and for me
And so let us tell the world of the marvelous crimson flood

III. Pictures of Christ

Again, as we do each week, it is time to look at the verses today in what they actually picture in relation to the Person and work of Christ.

The meal offering consisted of three things: unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. All of them were to be made of wheat flour. These point to three aspects of Christ’s life and ministry.

Bread is symbolic of life, the word, and provision which sustains man, among other things. The lekhem, or bread, is simply the normal term for bread. It was to be made without leaven and thus symbolizes life without sin. It is thus a picture of Christ, the sinless Man, who is the word of God, our life, and our provision. As I said earlier though, it is round bread. Thus it also signifies the divine eternality of Christ. As it says of Him in Hebrews –

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

The second is the unleavened cakes mixed with oil. That cake is known as khallah, which comes from khalal, meaning “to pierce.” Thus this bread pictures Christ’s work as the One who was pierced to give us life. This bread was to be mixed with shemen, or oil.

Oil signifies several things in the Bible such as joy, prosperity, etc. However, its preeminent signification is that of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the work of the Spirit is mixed into the piercing of Christ. The two are not disconnected, but are intricately enmeshed together.

The third type of bread is raqiq. This comes from raqaq, which means “to spit.” So it is a thin cake, like a wafer. These wafers were to be smeared with oil. In Leviticus 15:8, it notes that if a person defiled by a discharge were to spit, raqaq, on a person, it would make them unclean. This bread then pictures Christ’s passion when He was spit on and beaten by the unclean Gentiles as is stated in Luke 18. This was prophesied in Isaiah, using the word roq which comes from raqaq –

“I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6

However, this bread is said to have been “anointed” with oil. The word is mashakh. It is the same word used to identify the coming Messiah in Isaiah 61:1 –

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Isaiah 61:1

Thus, this third bread with its oil also pictures Christ as the One anointed to fulfill the messianic pictures presented in the Old Testament. Each type of bread was to be made of soleth khittim or fine wheat flour.

Khittah, or wheat, is the finest of the biblical grains. The word comes from khanat, which means to make spicy, to embalm, or to ripen. When the wheat is ripened, it is valuable as food and as seed for more wheat. Through Christ’s ministry, a harvest of wheat is realized. He spoke of this in John 12:23-26 –

“The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

The fine wheat flour is a picture of His unchanging character and purity. After these were specified, the Lord told Moses that all three of the breads were to be brought before Him in one basket. The three loaves in the single basket indicate three different aspects of Christ’s single ministry. He is the bread of life; He is the One pierced for our transgressions; and He is the one who brings about our salvation and the growth and great harvest of the church.

And yet, there is great specificity which asks us to stop and consider why one basket is noted. The sal, or “basket,” comes from the word salal, which means “to build.” It indicates a basket which is built up through the weaving process. Thus it is through these various aspects of Christ that His ministry is built and embodied. This aspect of His work can be summed up by the words of Hebrews 2:9 –

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9

After this, the washing and clothing of Aaron and his sons is mentioned. This was to be done at the door of the tent of meeting where they were to be first washed with water. This pictures the total cleansing of the priests.

In Aaron’s case, as the high priest, it pictures Christ’s perfect purity as our High Priest. It points to His baptism before He entered into His public service in order to fulfill all righteousness. For the sons, it pictures those who follow Christ and are purified by His work. This is seen in John 13 where Christ said this –

“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” John 13:10

In that passage, John uses two different words. One indicates a full bathing, the second indicates a lesser washing. Through Christ’s work, we are completely cleaned. We stand justified and free of guilt. However, we also continue to go through a process of sanctification where we need to be purified from time to time.

This is pictured in the priests need to wash their hands and their feet as they ministered to the Lord. These external washings signify the universal corruption of man and our need for external purification. The water pictures the spiritual regeneration which occurs when we are set apart by Christ.

Only after the washing was accomplished were the garments then put on them. In the case of Aaron, his garments are emblematic of the divine work of Christ. In this passage, he had seven articles placed upon Him, each representing an aspect of His work which we have seen in previous sermons. Together, they form a picture of Christ, the Prophet, Priest, and King who is completely distinct and set apart from all others.

After he was clothed, Moses then anointed Aaron. That is a picture which was seen once already in the bread, and which is repeated here. It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Christ which was prophesied in Isaiah 61. It is also referred to by Peter in Acts 10:38 where he told Cornelius that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”

In the case of the sons of Aaron, the symbolism again follows through to us. Three items were placed on them – tunics, sashes, and hats. The tunics picture our being clothed in His righteousness. The sashes picture us having girded our waists with His truth. The hats picture our having been granted a helmet of salvation upon our head because of the judgment named for Christ at Gabbatha, the name of which bears the same root as that of the hats.

As far as the terminology concerning the priesthood, that of Aaron and his line, it was to be as long as the law was in effect. However, for the priesthood which this only pictures, Christ’s priesthood, Hebrews tells us of its duration –

“Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.” Hebrews 7:23, 24

The priesthood which Christ established, and to which we belong is one which will span eternal ages.

Finally today, we looked at the bull offering. The bull is an exacting picture of Christ. It is the sacrifice that the high priest made for his own sins each year on the Day of Atonement. As Christ has no sins of His own, and thus needing no sacrifice, the bull pictures Him as the perfect High Priest.

As the bull pictures Christ, then the symbolism is rather sobering. These men placed their hands on the bull in a symbolic act of transferring their corruption and guilt to it. In Christ, we transferred our corruption and our sin to Him – the sinless Son of God whom the bull pictures. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 5 –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

The slaying of the bull symbolizes the death of Christ as our Substitute. The bull was to be without blemish, symbolizing the perfect Man, Jesus. The application of the bull’s blood on the horns of the altar shows that Christ’s blood has brought all who come to Him mercy and a place of refuge.

The particular instructions that the blood was to be applied with the finger demonstrates the creative workings of God on our behalf. Jesus told the people of Israel that if He truly cast out demons with the finger of God, then surely the kingdom of God had come upon them. The application of the blood signifies Christ’s exacting work for His redeemed.

As I said earlier, the mercy, the refuge, and the remission of the sins is granted by God, but it results from the work of the mediator’s fingers. As Jesus is fully God, the proof of His death in the shedding of His blood is completely sufficient to take away the sin guilt that we bear.

The pouring out of the blood at the base of the altar pictures the full proof of Christ’s death. He bled until the life had expired from His body. His blood was completely poured out. Despite this, the burning of the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them sybolizes the offering of the very essence of Christ to God. Paul explains it exactingly in Ephesians 5 –

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2

The verses ended today with the final disposal of the body of the bull, with the exception of those parts already mentioned. It was to be taken outside the camp and burned with fire. The author of Hebrews explains the symbolism for us –

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13:10-13

Here we are again at the end of a passage which upon a cursory reading seems to have little other than historical value. And yet, it is a passage rich in significance because of what it shows us. The details are in the words and the words reveal so very much.

The law really existed, and it served its purpose, but the law also was given in types and shadows in order to show us the supremacy of what still lies ahead. In Christ, the law was annulled. In its place has come the most marvelous of priesthoods. It is an eternal one and one which has the ability to perfect those who come to Christ through it.

If you have trusted in earning God’s favor through self, or through deeds of an outdated law which could never save, I would ask you to reconsider your stance. Christ’s priesthood is superior to that of Aaron’s in all ways. Take your sins, place them at the feet of Jesus, and be reconciled to God through what He has already done. Please allow me just another moment to tell you few verses to make this simple and understandable for you…

Closing Verse: “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:11-14

Next Week: Exodus 29:15-25 Wonderful things the Bible will relate to you… (The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, Part II)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

And this is what you shall do to them
To hallow them for ministering as priests to Me
Take one young bull and two rams without blemish
And continue to follow my directions explicitly

And unleavened bread
Mixed with oil, each unleavened cake
And unleavened wafers anointed with oil
You shall them of wheat flour make

You shall put them in one basket
And in the basket them you shall bring
With the bull and the two rams
So you shall do this thing

And Aaron and his sons you shall bring
To the tabernacle of meeting, at the door
And you shall wash them with water
On them water you shall pour

Then you shall take the garments
Put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod too
The ephod, and the breastplate
And gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod –
So shall you do

You shall put the turban on his head
And put the holy crown on the turban, as I have said

And you shall the anointing oil take
Pour it on his head, and anoint him
For the ordination’s sake

Then you shall bring his sons
And put tunics on them, so shall you do
And you shall gird them with sashes
Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them too

The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute
So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons
In these things, the priesthood you will institute

You shall also have the bull brought
Before the tabernacle of meeting, as I say
And Aaron and his sons shall put their hands\
On the head of the bull, this they shall obey

Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord
By the door of the tabernacle of meeting
According to My word

You shall take some of the blood of the bull, for sure
And put it on the horns of the altar with your finger
And all the blood beside the base of the altar pour

And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails
The fatty lobe attached to the liver, so shall you do
And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them
And burn them on the altar, as I now instruct to you

But the flesh of the bull
With its skin and its offal, you shall do this thing
You shall burn with fire outside the camp
It is a sin offering

Lord God Almighty, we thank you for what You have done
You have made us a kingdom of priests to You
And it is only because of the work of Your Son
It is only because of what He alone did do

And so we do thank You and we give You praise
Yes, Lord God Almighty, we shall do so… even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…